He said Toba Tek Singh DCO Waqas Aalam had received complaints that transporters had not reduced transport fares nor had they displayed new fares at the stand. STOCK IMAGE
The Toba Tek Singh general bus stand was sealed on Friday after transporters were found overcharging passengers.
Assistant Commissioner Wasif Khokhar and Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary Urooj Fatima and Town Muncipal Officer (TMO) Azhar Mehmood Dewan made a surprise visit to the bus stand and found that transporters were charging their customers old fares.
The assistant commissioner called a police team that sealed the bus stand.
Talking to newsmen, Khokhar said the government had announced a substantial reduction in fuel prices. He said transporters had been asked to reduce tariffs after fuel prices were reduced.
He said Toba Tek Singh DCO Waqas Aalam had received complaints that transporters had not reduced transport fares nor had they displayed new fares at the stand.
He said the DCO had constituted monitoring teams to check transport fares and take action against those found overcharging passengers.
He said during the visit to the bus stand, he had asked passengers about how much they had been charged. He said he had then asked transporters why they had not reduced fares and displayed new fare schedule.
He said the transporters had refused to reduce fares.
“I informed the DCO and he told me to seal the bus stand. It will not be desealed until this issue is resolved,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Transporters Association spokesman Muhammad Riyasat said transporters could not afford to reduce fares beyond Rs10. “We have to meet other costs.”
He said the government should fix new fares keeping in mind the problems faced by transporters. He said transporters would go on an indefinite strike if the bus stand was not reopened.
Van drivers go on strike
Scores of van drivers travelling on routes from Faisalabad to Lahore, Okara, Tandlianwala, Jaranwala, Chiniot, Sammundri, Mamonkanjan, Kamalia, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and other parts of the province went on strike on Friday against fines being imposed by the Regional Transport Authority.
Muhammad Shafiq, a van driver, said, “We are charging Rs130 per passenger from Faisalabad to Lahore but the government has asked us to charge Rs110. If we do so, we wont be able to pay toll taxes and keep up with other costs”.
Muhammad Habib, another van owner, said “I travel between Faisalabad and Jaranwala. I charge Rs50 per passenger. After reduction in fuel prices, I voluntarily decreased the fare from Rs50 to Rs.40. Now the transport authority is forcing us to further reduce to Rs20 per passenger.”
RTA Secretary Tariq Chaudhary told The Express Tribune many people had complained that van drivers were overcharging. He said he had visited several bus stands and found that they had been overcharging exorbitantly. He said they had not displayed fares either. He said transport authorities were bound to take action against those found overcharging customers.
“There will be no compromise on this issue,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2015.
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Here is a classic example of how the price control economy create chaos in private sector.
If one does not like the fair charges by the private sector, then he or she does not have to travel in that bus.
If the government wants the people to have low cost fare, then the govt should run the sate transport with subsidized fair, in competition with the private sector. Naturally, govt cannot go on doing this subsidy business, so collects more taxes or borrows money, squeezing the capital out of the system and goes into circular debt.